Conventionally, there is an image processing device for displaying a part of a panorama image or an omnidirectional image on a display device.
However, the above-described image processing device cannot acquire a stereoscopic panorama image.
Accordingly, an object of the example embodiment is to provide an image generation method, an image display method, a storage medium storing an image generation program, an image generation system and an image display device capable of generating and/or displaying a stereoscopic panorama image.
In order to achieve the above object, the example embodiment may adopt, for example, the following structures. It is understood that for interpreting the recitations of the claims, the range thereof is to be interpreted only based on the recitations of the claims, and that in the case where the recitations of the claims are contradictory to the description of the specification, the recitations of the claims are given priority.
The present disclosure provides one structural embodiment of an image generation method for generating a stereoscopic panorama image. The image generation method comprises acquiring panorama images respectively captured by three or more panorama cameras located in a real space; and generating a left-eye image and a right-eye image by synthesizing parts of the acquired panorama images.
The “panorama moving image” described above may have an angle of field which is equal to or greater larger than 180° in one of an up-down direction and a left-right direction. Further, the “panorama moving image” may have an angle of field of 360° in one of the directions. In the other direction, the “panorama moving image” may have an angle of field which is equal to or greater than that of the moving image to be displayed on the first display device. Further, the “panorama moving image” may have an angle of field which is equal to or greater than twice the angle of field of the moving image, equal to or greater than 120°, equal to or greater than 150°, or 180°.
According to the above, parts of the three or more panorama images captured at different points of view are synthesized to generate a left-eye image and a right-eye image, and thus the captured panorama image can be displayed stereoscopically.
The panorama images respectively captured by the panorama cameras which are respectively located in the real space at positions which are apexes of a polygon may be acquired. In this case, generating the left-eye image and the right-eye image may comprise dividing each of the acquired panorama images into divided images in accordance with image-capturing directions; and selecting an image to be used for a left-eye image and an image to be used for a right-eye image for each of the image-capturing directions from the divided images, and synthesizing the selected divided images in accordance with each of the image-capturing direction, thereby generating the left-eye image and the right-eye image.
According to the above, three or more panorama images are divided and synthesized in accordance with each of the image-capturing directions. Thus, a left-eye image and a right-eye image can be generated efficiently.
In generating the left-eye image and the right-eye image, one divided image to be used for the left-eye image and one divided image to be used for the right-eye image may be selected from the panorama image captured by each of the three or more panorama cameras.
According to the above, one divided image to be used for the left-eye image and one divided image to be used for the right-eye image are selected from the panorama image captured by one panorama camera. Owing to this, such one panorama camera can act as a left-eye camera or a right-eye camera in accordance with the image-capturing direction.
In generating the left-eye image and the right-eye image, a pair of panorama cameras to be used for the left-eye image and the right-eye image may be set for each of the image-capturing directions, and the divided images may be selected in accordance with the setting.
According to the above, a combination of the panorama images which provides an appropriate stereoscopic display can be set in accordance with the image-capturing direction.
In dividing each of the acquired panorama images, a plurality of image-capturing directions may be set such that borders therebetween extend in directions from the inside of the polygon toward the panorama cameras, and parts of each panorama image of the image-capturing directions may be provided as the divided images.
According to the above, divided images appropriate to generate a stereoscopic panorama image can be obtained.
In generating the left-eye image and the right-eye image, for selecting the divided images for the image-capturing directions, a pair of panorama cameras closest to each of the image-capturing directions may be selected among the three or more panorama cameras. The divided image of the image-capturing direction captured by the panorama camera located on the left as facing the image-capturing direction among the pair of panorama cameras may be used for the left-eye image, and the divided image of the image-capturing direction captured by the panorama camera located on the right as facing the image-capturing direction among the pair of panorama cameras may be used for the right-eye image.
According to the above, the divided images which provides an optimum stereoscopic display can be synthesized in accordance with the image-capturing direction to generate a panorama image. Thus, the panorama image can be displayed stereoscopically in all the directions.
In generating the left-eye image and the right-eye image, the images to be used for the left-eye image and the images to be used for the right-eye image may be selected in a state where from the panorama image captured by each panorama camera, the divided image including images of the other panorama cameras different from the each camera is excluded.
According to the above, a panorama image which does not include an image-capturing area where the field of view is blocked by the other panorama cameras is generated. Therefore, the dead angle area in the panorama image can be removed.
One structural example of an image display method according to the example embodiment may comprise displaying, on a display device, the left-eye image and the right-eye image generated by any one of the above-described image generation methods.
According to the above, a stereoscopic panorama image can be displayed.
The image display method may further comprise setting a display range of each of the left-eye image and the right-eye image to be displayed on the display device in accordance with an attitude of the display device. In this case, in displaying, on the display device, the left-eye image and the right-eye image, the set display range of each of the left-eye image and the right-eye image may be displayed on the display device.
According to the above, the range of the panorama image to be displayed is changed in accordance with the attitude of the display device. Therefore, the user can view the panorama image by making an operation intuitively.
The example embodiment may be implemented in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an image generation program for allowing a computer to execute each of the above-described operations, an image generation system including a unit for performing each of the above-described operations, or an image display device for displaying an image generated by the above-described operations.
According to the example embodiment, parts of three or more panorama images captured at different points of view are synthesized to generate a left-eye image and a right-eye image, and thus the captured panorama image can be displayed stereoscopically.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the example embodiment will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.